STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

The ski season seems to be hurtling toward an end faster than ever before, thanks to record warm temperatures this winter.

But Galena Lodge will have one last hurrah this weekend with its annual Ride Stride Glide winter triathlon and a season-ending Easter Egg Hunt.

The Ride Stride Glide will be held on Saturday, April 4. It’s all in fun and participants are encouraged to come as a team or go solo for the relay-style race held on the Nordic trails surrounding the lodge.

This chicken showed up at Galena Lodge’s last big event—the Galena Loppet in March—as dozens of skiers skied the trails in search of margaritas, beer and donuts.

There’ll be a 9km bike component, a 4.4km run and a 9 km ski. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the race at 9:30 a.m.

Cost is $25 for a solo racer and $60 for a three-person team, with participants rewarded with a hearty mug of soup. The money goes to the Galena Youth Adventure Camp Scholarship Fund, and costumes are encouraged.

The Galena Lodge Easter Egg Hunt will take place at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 5, which is Galena Lodge’s last day until it reopens for the summer season in June.

The free egg hunt is designed for kids 10 and under. Bring your own basket and meet at the Gladiator Trailhead at the far corner of the Galena Parking Lot.

Laurie Leman laughs as Nancy McMath twirls a donut on her finger during the Galena Loppet.

While the egg hunt is free, don’t forget your wallet. Galena is holding a 25 percent off sale on socks, gloves, hats, jackets, pants, sweaters and more. Used snowshoes, skate ski packages and classic ski packages are also on sale. Questions? Call 208-726-4010.

Galena Lodge had a slow start to the season, as did all the Nordic trails. But Christmas Day presented the area with a big heaping helping of snow and the skiing couldn’t have been more perfect during January and February.

The snow lured plenty of visitors from areas of the country that did not have good snow.

“It’s been an extremely busy winter for us,” said Kyle Oldemayer, who manages the lodge with his wife Chelan. “We’re seeing a lot of people.”

Lucy Abraham, Glo Kimball, Erica Thorson and others dressed the gamut from Norwegian Vikings in honor of the Inga Lami Loppet to court jesters.

Malcolm and Karen Daly, members of the volunteer ski patrol for the North Valley Trails, handed out donuts that had been baked earlier that morning by the Galena Lodge staff.